Thursday, May 15, 2008

Sample Creatures made using The Random Esoteric Creature Generator for Classic Fantasy Role-Playing Games and Their Modern Simulacra

I will go through and roll up ten monsters, assuming the PC groups are an average of 1st through 10th levels... no cheating, if it comes up lame, then it'll come up lame. (not that you'd ever know for sure if I was cheating...) (and it should tell you how much thought I put into "marketing" since I didn't do this in the first place!) Let's see what happens...

(Comments... WHOA. A bit hairy for our beginning adventurers, but that's almost all due to the Huge size which upped the HD and Damage the thing does. I can't even start to visualize a flowery centaur-like form? Bizarre.)

(Comments... whoah whoah whoah. A serpentine kangaroo? Maybe it's got a snake body, a kangaroo head, and it COILS and hops around like a Q-bert foe. So what's the projectile... stinging spittle? And that shade thing... interesting!)

PC Party 4th Lvl

HD 2AC 0AT 1 Horn + 1 Snakebites D 2d4 MV 110

Body Shape: Serpentine (great, people are going to think there aren't many options in this book with all the repeats. :P Damned dice) Basic Characteristics: Avian (Swan) + Mammal (Skunk) Size: Small (d8 creatures appearing) Movement: Slithering (Honest!) Attack Method: Spikes/Horns (come on dice, show the VARIETY here!) Distinctive Features: Serpent Appendages (+1 attack, save vs poison or DIE!) Special Abilities: Swallows Whole... nix that, conflicts with the size. Immune to Cold, half damage from cold attacks, none if it saves. Better. Delivery of Special Attacks: -- Combat Tactics: Attacks the most heavily armored foe Motivation: Parasite (3 out of 4? I swear, it is 1 chance out of 10... and I keep rolling a 7.)

(Comments... What to make of this then... hmmm... I'd say a snakey body, with a swan head and skunk-pattern feathers on it, but the beak is SHARP! And it's got a bunch of little poisonous snakes coming out of it. Nasty little critter.)

PC Party 5th Lvl

HD 9AC +2AT 1 D d10 MV 140

Body Shape: Quadruped Basic Characteristics: Avian (Hummingbird) Size: Huge Movement: "Standard"... Let's call this a flying creature then, shall we? With four talons! Attack Method: Bash... hmmm... not so sharp talons, eh? Distinctive Features: Colored Bands, Oozing Sores Special Abilities: Energy Drain 1 Level (ooo, it's UNDEAD), Charging Attack (double damage on charge), -50% chance to be surprised, Reflexes +2 on initiative rolls, Shape Shifting (Unlimited) Delivery of Special Attacks: Instead of rolling, this is obvious... it swoops down to bash with its club feet... but anyone hit comes in contact with its oozing sores which is some sort of negative energy gunk. *shivers* Combat Tactics: Always Attacks Foe Who Did Most Damage to it Last Round Motivation: Hunger

(Comments... Nasty, nasty, NASTY surprise for the mid-level party. Holy hell. Your players will never again yell "CHARGE!" without wondering if they're about to get their asses kicked!)

PC Party 6th Lvl

HD 8AC +8AT 1 bite + one sting D d6 + d8 MV 110

Body Shape: Serpentine (another repeater that shouldn't be repeating this much) Basic Characteristics: CrustaceanSize: Medium Movement: Standard (Slither!) Attack Method: Bite Distinctive Features: Glowing Eyes (surprises foes 1 in 6 LESS often), Shimmering Body, Stinger Special Abilities: Bonus Damage - if rolls 4 more than needed to hit, or a natural 20, +d8 damage. (or we can just rule that the stinger does d8 if it hits) Delivery of Special Attacks: (stinger) Combat Tactics: Attacks foe with most hit points Motivation: Fear! It feeds off the panic of its victims!

(Comments... hmmm, so this is a long, perhaps horseshoe-crab looking thing, with a mother-of-pearl shell perhaps. Interesting that "serpentine" has shown up a few times yet none of the final results would look like each other when presented in play. Probably not a major menace, but they shouldn't all be, right? Keeping them guessing is the whole point!)

(Comments... tough little smelly squirrelly buggers! Not so big a deal with the little claws, but darn it they can dig in. Still, this looks like a very minor encounter for a party of 7th level, even if 8 critters show up)

Body Shape: Quadruped Basic Characteristics: Reptile (Turtle)Size: Large Movement: Standard- Walking! Attack Method: Bite + Spikes + Claw Distinctive Features: Horns (duh), Fiery Antlers (rolled "combine two" then got Antlers and On Fire!) (going to rule THESE are the spikes and these can set foes on fire on a hit as flaming oil), Slimy Special Abilities: Improved AC, Only Hit By Wooden and Magic Weapons, Immune to Fire (half damage or none if saves) Delivery of Special Attacks: -- Combat Tactics: Attacks Humans Motivation: Territorial, seeks to drive people from its home.

(Comments... I thought this was going to be a weak challenge for a 9th level party, but I think it could cause a fair bit of worry, what with the FLAMING ANTLERS, and bizarre weapon immunity. Players won't forget this one anytime soon.)

(Comments... Well, it earned its 'high level foe' stripes with that special attack... and the defense... tough cookie. So what is it shooting? Metal shards? To do that much damage? I'd say some sort of blast... acid, maybe?)

(Comments... WOW. An ant-ish cube? Maybe just a very blocky body with ant legs and head. This thing is dynamite! Attacks the senses, has a considerable defense mechanism despite the very weak AC, you absolutely do not want to touch it... I'd go ahead and call this thing demonic. )